Oven Baked Italian Sunday Gravy
Sundays were made for slow-cooked Italian gravy. This one bakes low and slow in the oven with pork chops that fall apart in the sauce, filling your kitchen with a rich, savory aroma. It’s the kind of meal that turns a regular Sunday dinner into a new family tradition.
Equipment
Ingredients
To cook and season the pork
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 bone in pork chops 1 works too
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- oregano
- salt and pepper
For the sauce
- 1 cup diced onion
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup white wine
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 56 oz 2 cans whole San Marzano tomatoes, pureed
- 4 whole cloves of garlic peeled
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- healthy bunch of basil about 6-8 leaves
- 2 cups water divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- Season the pork chop on both sides with the seasonings.
- In a 5 ½ qt. Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Lay the pork chop down to brown for about 2 minutes until browned. Flip to the other side and repeat. Remove the pork to a plate and set aside.
- Add the minced onion to the oil and saute for about 3 minutes until translucent. Once ready, stir in the cloves of minced garlic and saute until you can smell it
- Pour in the white wine and cook for about 2 minutes.
- Use a flat wooden spoon to caramelize the tomato paste in wine-flavored onions and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Stir this around for 2 minutes.
- Pour in pureed tomatoes and mix completely until the color of the sauce is uniform.
- Drop in the whole cloves of garlic along with the fresh basil sprig. Stir in sugar and add back in the browned pork chop.
- Place the Dutch oven into the preheated oven and cover. Cook for 1 hour.
- After one hour has lapsed, add 1 cup of water to the sauce. Stir completely. Lower the oven temperature to 300° and cook for another hour, covered.
Notes
Cool the sauce completely before transferring to an airtight, freezer safe container or bag for storage.
Store refrigerated for up to 4 days.
Freeze up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before reheating either in the microwave (covered to avoid splashing) or in a pan on the stove on medium-low.
